Strong showing for Waters boys

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MARENGO – Marian Central’s No. 1 singles player, Riley Waters, showed up with his team to play Marengo in boys tennis Thursday, but he ended up playing Winnebago’s Jordan Emmert.

Waters’ teammates defeated Marengo, 4-1, to even the Hurricanes’ record at 3-3.

Marengo coach Jay Mathis said she allows Emmert to play some home matches with her team because Winnebago does not have a tennis team. Emmert’s matches don’t count for Marengo, but they give Emmert a chance to gain some high school tennis experience before competing at IHSA sectionals as an individual.

Although Waters’ match did not count for Marian, he benefited from playing a hard hitter and gained confidence from his 6-4, 6-2 win.

“That’s the best match he’s played this spring,” Marian coach Jim Sarther said. “I think it helps that he’s only a sophomore.”

Last year as a freshman, Waters (4-2) played on the junior varsity team and did not see a lot of strong competition. That’s not the case this year. He said every team has at least one good player.

“I just like challenges,” Waters said. “I like to [face] people that give me a good match. It makes me play better.”

The Hurricanes have a nice one-two singles combination this year with Waters’ freshman brother, Aaron, playing at No. 2. Aaron Waters moved up to No. 1 singles to defeat Marengo’s Zak Temple, 6-0, 6-1.

Sarther said the tougher the opponent, the better it is for his top singles players. Marian will play at the tough Cary-Grove Sectional.

“I would like to have both my singles players have as stiff of competition as they can to get ready for sectionals,” Sarther said.

Mathis said her team is inexperienced, but she has been impressed with their play, win or lose. She celebrated a small victory by her No. 2 doubles team of Austin Brettschneider and Gavin Smith.

The Indians (1-3) lost that match to the Hurricanes’ Will Kaufman and Andy Yuk, 6-1, 6-3, but getting three games in the second set was an accomplishment for Brettschneider and Smith, who began playing tennis this season.

“They just picked a racket up five weeks ago,” Mathis said. “The only thing that hurts them is inexperience.”

Luke Elias got Marengo’s win at No. 2 singles, defeating Kenny Salvi, 2-6, 7-6 (12-10),
10-8, in a super tie-breaker.